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Dig In: Garden checklist for week of June 14

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JUN 13, 2020 1:49 P.M.

Transplant coneflowers now for blooms all summer. Pollinators love them, too. (Photos: Kathy Morrison)

Make most of mild weather; heat coming again soon

Enjoy this brief cool down; more heat is on the way.

According to the National Weather Service, Sacramento temperatures will swing wildly again this week with at least a 20-degree difference between this weekend and midweek. After a breezy day in the mid-70s on Saturday, Sunday will be just about "normal" for June with a high forecast of 88 degrees. Sacramento's average June high is 87.

Monday and Tuesday will hover around 90 degrees before the breeze disappears and the furnace switches back on. Forecast for the rest of the week is "sunny and hot," with highs of 97 degrees or above.

So, if you have something that needs attention in your garden, do it now before the heat creeps back up.

Here are some suggestions:
* Mulch, mulch, mulch! This “blanket” keeps moisture in the soil longer and helps your plants cope during hot weather.
* Weed, weed, weed! Bindweed, nutsedge and other unwanted invaders love the heat and are growing rapidly now. Pull them before they go to seed.
* Let the grass grow longer. Set the mower blades high to reduce stress on your lawn during summer heat. To cut down on evaporation, water your lawn deeply during the wee hours of the morning, between 2 and 8 a.m.
* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.
* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.
* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.
* Thin grapes on the vine for bigger, better clusters later this summer.
* Cut back fruit-bearing canes on berries.

June is the perfect time to plant zinnias.

*Deep-water tomatoes, peppers and squash, then feed with a balanced fertilizer. Bone meal or rock phosphate can spur the bloom cycle and help set fruit.
* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.

* From seed, plant basil, beans, corn, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.

June is the perfect time to plant zinnias.

* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias.
* Transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.

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Dig In: Garden Checklist

For week of March 19:

Spring will start a bit soggy, but there’s still plenty to do between showers:

* Fertilize roses, annual flowers and berries as spring growth begins to appear.

* Watch out for aphids. Wash off plants with strong blast from the hose.

* Pull weeds now! Don’t let them get started. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout.

* Prepare summer vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.

* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to fight blossom blight.

* Feed citrus trees as they start to blossom.

* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.

* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.

* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and kale.

* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground.

* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.

* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.

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